Conversations with the Career Doctor
This candid conversation between Dr. Saundarya Rajesh, Founder, Avtar Group, and Aditi Shukla, Head of India Shared Services and Country Head, India, AXA XL, illuminates a vulnerable career journey filled with challenges and conquests and uncovers fresh insights on navigating the world of Finance as a woman.
Women in the World of Insurance
Shukla believes that women absolutely do belong in the world of insurance, and are in fact naturally wired for it, with their propensity to identify and strategize on how to mitigate risk. She believes that women have developed this sensitivity for risk based on the world they have had to navigate so far. She believes there are multiple, fruitful avenues in terms of career paths, for women in insurance, in a variety of capacities. She recalls how she stumbled upon the world of insurance herself, after facing the first major setback of her life and then interviewing for a role in a large American MNC.
Value-Congruence, Flexibility, Learning and Longevity
Shukla believes in the primary importance of value-congruence between personal values and organizational values in promoting retention and longevity with an organization. For her personally, her organization has been in sync with her needs throughout life stages, and has been flexible enough to support her through it, allowing her role and position changes, and empathy and understanding during times of personal loss. She discussed the importance of empathy, and interpretation and implementation of organizational policies in creating a wonderful place to work. She encouraged women to never settle for less.
The Insurance Industry for Women Today – The Lay of the Land
Shukla recalls how there are much more women in the insurance space today than when she started her career. She sees an abundance of women in leadership roles and in diverse roles, considering that social barriers and constraints, too, have been easing for women, over time. When asked if the insurance industry provides flexibility for its professionals, Shukla nods an enthusiastic yes, remarking that roles in insurance allow for flexibility in working hours, location and pace of work, allowing for women to pursue their careers with the support of their organization.
Strategies for Women – Navigating Careers in the Landscape of Today
Shukla underlines just how fast-paced the world is today, by advising women not to make decisions whose impact can be felt beyond six months later, especially decisions related to dropping their careers when juggling work and home. She notes how facts of life, circumstances, the economy and sociopolitical influences could change. She recalls that she employed this very strategy during one of the darkest periods of her life, refraining from making long-term decisions and only focusing on getting through the current week. She highlights the importance of asking for help when looking to preserve one’s career, and juggling home and life without sinking into feelings of guilt.
She also stresses upon the importance of doing nothing, of allowing the mind to think, catch up and ‘clear the cobwebs’. She believes that this regenerates and rejuvenates the mind, making it ripe for new ideas.
Having faced her fair share of gender bias and restrictive mindsets during her career, she finds that women of today are becoming more and more aware. She recalls being quite assertive in her earlier days in order to combat gender bias and also allowing her experiences with bias to motivate her to work towards higher leadership positions. She underscores the power of action over words when it comes to combating bias and restriction, finding that long discussions were not always as effective as doing and showing the world what was possible for women. Tune in to Aditi Shukla’s story of grit, growth, and leadership in BFSI. Click Here
